So we currently have a 5 night package booked starting 8/14 at the Beach Club through a travel agency. Since we have decided to spend a day at universal and looking at everything we want to do I decided we need an extra night. So I went ahead and booked our flights and we are arriving 12:30pm on 8/13. I have not yet booked our hotel for that night but thinking when the summer discounts come out that include out dates I will probably book Pop or another value. Of course my TA offered to just book it at the Beach Club but I want a less expensive option since this was an add on. Now she did explain that I could activate the tickets early by going to Guest Relations at whatever park on the 13th. My question is this. Since I plan on staying onsite on the 13th probably POP, will I be able to link that hotel reservation with my existing reservation at Beach Club on the website? I have already been on the website playing around with it, adding experiences and booked the few ADR's I wanted. If I am able to link it will I be able to book fp's for the 13 even though the tickets part of my package doesn't technically start until the 14th? Thanks in advance. This is our first time in the FP+ era.
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Adding on a night before my package and fp questions
- Thread starter ar81
- Start date
Rob562
Well-Known Member
OK, here we go....
Yes, you can (and should) link the additional reservation to your MDE account. You'll get a MagicBand for each reservation, and each person can use their two Bands interchangeably the entire trip.
For a long time you *could* get tickets associated with a package reservation a few days before the start of the package just like your agent said. However, from what I've read online they have been discouraging this practice since they've rolled out My Disney Experience because it really complicates things in the ticketing system. You *may* be able to get someone at Guest Relations at a park to do it, but I wouldn't make definite plans around it, and it most likely would not be a fast process.
Also, even if they can do it, you wouldn't be able to make FP+ choices for those tickets until you got them issued, since as the tickets exist now they essentially have a "not valid before" date linked to the check-in date of the package.
One option is to change the package reservation to be a Room Only booking, purchase tickets separately and link them to your profiles. You can then use the tickets throughout your trip during both hotel stays with nothing more to do when you arrive.
-Rob
Thank you for your detailed response. Wow didnt realize it was so complicated or the not valid before checkin date part of the ticket. We may just make it a Disney Springs or resort hopping evening. I still feel its worth it coming in the day before because we can rope drop the 14th where as if we arrived on the 14th it would more than likely be mid b day. As far as the 2 magic band thing, does that mean we could make additional same day fastpasses with the extra magic band from our room only reservation? Or is thst a big nono? Pardon my ignorance. Also if i just scrap the whole going to a park on the 13th plan, would i have to actually go to beach club before going to a park so my tickets will be activated? Or will online checkin take care of activating our magic bands? Thanks
Rob562
Well-Known Member
FP+ reservations are linked to number of days on your tickets.
Nothing at all is stored "on" the MagicBand. They're simply a pointer back to your profile in the Disney system. So when you scan it, the system looks you up and looks up the necessary info (ticket, FP+, room charge account, etc)
If you can check in using the "direct to room" feature where you can bypass the front desk and go to your room, then you should be able to go right to the park without having to check into the package reservation to activate the tickets. Just make sure to choose 7am as your estimated arrival time.
-Rob
disneyfan12345
New Member
I'm not sure if you're still reading this post, but this information might be helpful. I went to Disney last December for a week with two separate reservations, both linked to my account. The first part of the trip was a room only reservation for 3 nights at POFQ, and the 2nd was a package with 8 day park tickets and 4 nights at AKL with free dining. The free dining promotion was only available during the second half our trip and required park tickets. At 60 days before our check-in date for POFQ, I tried to make FP reservations, but I could not. I could make advanced FP reservations online only for the days booked at AKL. About a month and a half before the trip, I called and complained to a Disney rep, and she booked my FP reservations for the days at POFQ. Some of them were for specific times that I asked for, and some of them were for anytime of the day because my requested time was no longer available. In the MDE app, they looked different than the fast passes I booked for the AKL part of our trip; I think they were green. Anyway, we did online check-in, but we went to the front desk when we arrived at POFQ to sort out the ticket situation. The cast member easily "activated" our park tickets, and we went to Epcot. While riding the bus to Epcot, I was able to book 3 additional FPs using the MDE app for each day during our POFQ stay, so we had a total of 6 FPs per day for the first part of our trip. When it was time to leave POFQ, we brought our luggage to bell services that morning and then went to Animal Kingdom. We checked into AKL that evening, and bell services brought our luggage to our room. I think we received an upgrade because I only paid for a standard room but we had an amazing view of the animals. As for the magic bands, we received two sets. We used one set for the entire trip and kept the other set as a back up. Initially, I was concerned with having two reservations for one trip, but we didn't have any problems at all.
Thank you so much for shar ing your experience. So you not only had no problems getting your tickets activated early but POFQ were able to for it for you? I was under the impressoon I would have to go to a guest relations desk at a park. So maybe in my case when I arrive at Pop they can activate my magic bands/tickets even though that is a room only reservation? And the next day i can do inline checkin for Beach Club but not even have to go there first because my tickets were have alresdy been activated?
Dad 2 M & M
Well-Known Member
1) I would go ahead and get the Value Room booked now. After booking, if you don't want the 2nd Magic Band (Band associated with your Value ressie) , you can go online and decline the Magic Band for your Value resort, and you Beach Club Band should work at both resorts.
2) As far as the tickets, you can use your tickets at any time (even before your Resort ressie begins). You should be able to use one of your tickets on the 13th. Additionally, unless things have changed, you can add a day at any point BEFORE you have used up your current ticket. Adding another day is going to be much less expensive than buying a 1 day ticket. It should cost the same as the difference between a 5-day and 6-day ticket (sorry, I don't know how many days your ticket is), not the full price of a 1 day ticket. I do want to point out, we have APs now, and have only bought 1 4-day ticket (guest was friend of family) in the last few years.
3) As far as Fastpass+ and Linking.......go online and give it a whirl. We have had a few hiccups with linking Resort ressies on the times we have had "split resort" trips. A couple of times we could not charge with our Magic bands after checking into the 2nd resort.
Dad 2 M & M
Well-Known Member
I like it, and would suggest trying to ADD a day to the current ticket vs buying a 1-day ticket.
Thanks for both of your replies and the information. We actually have plenty of days on our tickets especially since ine day we are spending offsite at Universal. We have 6 day parkhopper with one waterpark option which we plan on using. So I could go to a park everday 8/13-8/19 excluding the one day for universal including arrival and departure days. So is it the general consensus that i should have no problem activating my tickets on the 13th at Pop even though it is a room only reservation?
Rob562
Well-Known Member
My suggestion that you were quoting was intended to suggest that they book a room only reservation for both hotels and then buy a multi-day ticket that covers the entire trip.
I'd say you could give it a try. I've heard conflicting stories recently, some who were able to get their tickets early, others where the CM vsaid it was being discouraged now.
Though you'll have to go to a park Guest Relations window to try. The hotel can't help you.
-Rob
disneyfan12345
New Member
Pop should be able to activate your tickets early. My tickets were activated early at POFQ, so I did not have to go to guest relations at the theme park. I can't remember if it was a regular CM or the concierge at POFQ that activated my tickets since they were also using the concierge desk to check people in. Since your theme park tickets will be activated, the next day you can go to a theme park before going to Beach Club.
Dad 2 M & M
Well-Known Member
You should be able to go direct to ANY Park BEFORE checking in at Pop.....I doubt you'll even have to stop by Guest Relations.
I guess its moot now... I assumed with the package there was already a multi-day ticket, but didn't realize it was 6 days....they are already covered and don't need to add.
Rob562
Well-Known Member
A question for both of you: Are you talking about a ticket as part of a *package* reservation? Or those purchased separately (either from Disney or a reseller)?
While both answers are correct for tickets purchased separately from a package (and then accessing those tickets using a MagicBand or the physical card), unless things have changed very recently, the hotels have *not* been able to issue package theme park tickets before the check-in date. (This procedure dates back to well before the introduction of My Disney Experience)
-Rob